Page 14 of Bad for You

A group of people walked out, said their goodbyes, and headed off down the street. A lone figure stayed, looking down at her phone.

I froze.

Lila.

My heart smacked against my rib cage.

Fuck, I’d thought about her every day. Every night.

Thinking about her gorgeous smile, her sweet scent, her soft lips. Those goddamn lips. She didn’t know it, but she’d gotten me through every shitty goddamn day.

I ate up the sight of her. The last couple of months I’d forced myself to stop texting her, convinced it was the only way to get over my obsession with this girl.

But seeing her now—I’d been full of shit.

I wasn’t fucking over her.

I inwardly cringed. I’d sent her a bunch of humiliating messages after one particularly crappy fucking day. I’d spilled my guts like a loved-up, pathetic teenager, basically begging her to talk to me.

And sweet little Lila had made her feelings clear by saying nothing at all. I didn’t blame her. I sure as shit wasn’t right for her. Which was why I was going to stay away. It wasn’t going to be easy, and it sure as hell didn’t feel natural. When I wanted something, I went after it.

This time I couldn’t have what I wanted. It pissed me off.

She was studying her phone, a little frown on her beautiful face.

Christ, she was gorgeous.

I wanted to stride across the street, pull her into my arms, and own that mouth so bad I actually took a step forward. The door opened again and a guy walked out, tall, wearing a cowboy hat and a cocky shit-eating grin. Lila turned, straightened her glasses, and smiled at him.

Fuck, no.

Cowboy douchebag slung an arm around her slim shoulders and she leaned in.

My heart wrenched out of my chest—

She glanced up.

Her big brown eyes came straight to mine, pinning me to the spot. It hit like a forked lightning strike. Head. Heart. Balls. A three-in-one shot.

I stood frozen as she tilted her head slightly to the side. I didn’t look the same—my hair was buzzed and I had a pretty decent beard—but then her eyes widened, recognition hitting her just as hard, there was no missing it.

Yeah, Bambi, I’m back.

She sucked in a breath and her eyes moved over me. Christ, it was like she was touching me.

The door opened behind me, and then Sofia was there, pressing against me, clinging to my side. Lila flinched as I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her close, holding tight.

Lila’s gaze dropped to her feet, then she was walking away with cowboy-fuck-face toward his truck.

“Okay, Soph?” I forced out past the bolder in my throat.

My sister-in-law nodded, face pressed against my chest. “It’s done.”

Trix, one of the tattooists at Rocktown Ink, stood at the door, her dog Jimmy Chew at her side. I could have done this, but Sofia’d been touchy, nervous, even around me these last few months. Inking over my brother’s name on the front of her hip would have been too much for her right now.

Trixie was a pro, someone removed from the situation, and I knew she’d do Sofia right. I gave her a chin lift. “Thanks, Trix.”

“No problem.” She had an odd look on her face that I couldn’t read, but it was gone when her gaze returned to my sister-in-law. “Take care, Sofia.”